On Our Merry Way (1948)

Oliver Pease (Burgess Meredith) works as a classified ad salesman for a Los Angeles newspaper. Unfortunately, he has been pretending to his wife, Martha (Paulette Goddard), that he is a roving reporter, with more responsibility and more pay. Martha suggests he write a column based upon the question, "What great influence has a little child had upon your life?" Facing dire financial straits, Oliver goes over the head of the real roving reporter to the paper's editor and convinces him that the publisher wants Oliver to improve the column. Pursued by a bookie to whom he owes money, Oliver goes on the streets to find answers to Martha's question. In separate meetings, he talks to slow-talking musicians Lank (Henry Fonda) and Slim (James Stewart), noted film actress Gloria Manners (Dorothy Lamour) and stage magician Al (Fred MacMurray). They all tell Oliver different stories of how their lives were changed by "children" of various ages, negatively at first, but ultimately positively. But Oliver's deceptions are bound to catch up with him, both at the paper and with Martha, who had a particular reason for suggesting the question.